First of 20 Alabama assisted living centers planned in Foley

Jack West, founder of Country Place Living, addresses officials and residents in Foley on Wednesday. (Guy Busby/Press-Register)

FOLEY, Alabama -- Construction of the first of 20 assisted living centers planned around Alabama will be built in Foley as part of a total investment of $60 million, company officials announced Wednesday.

Country Living Senior Center in Foley will employ 27 people and be built at a cost of $3 million, Jack West, Country Place Senior Living president, said. He said 19 other centers that will employ more than 500 people will be built around the state, including facilities in Fairhope, Bay Minette and Atmore.

"We intend to use the Country Place Senior Living residence of Foley as the primary training facility for our staff to be developed to go into other parts of the state," West said at a ceremony marking the start of construction Wednesday. "Not only will we be creating a significant number of jobs here locally, but using this as kind of a place of operations as we get going."

The program will be a benefit for the state’s economy and residents, Alabama Development Office Director Seth Hammett said.

"It’s a great combination when you think about jobs for our people," Hammett said. "This being the first of 20 of these across the state and then a safe, secure and comfortable place for our people to live. I think that’s a winning combination and we certainly are glad you chose Alabama."

Some of the funding for the project will come from investors in China through the federal Immigrant Investor Program, known as EB 5 for Employment Based Immigration, Fifth Preference, West said.

He said Chinese investor Guy Lam set up the funding, which allows investors who contribute $500,000 in programs that create at least 10 jobs in communities of less than 20,000 people to receive permanent U.S. visas for themselves or for children to attend American universities.

The Foley center will be on a two-acre parcel on U.S. 98. The 16,000-square-foot facility will have 22 suites as well as a large dining area, indoor and outdoor social areas, a guest suite, exercise facility, library, commercial kitchen facilities, concrete enclosed storm shelter and other amenities, according to a company statement.